Kobayashi Issa (1763–1828,) born Kobayashi Nobuyuki, was a Japanese poet and lay Buddhist priest, renowned for haiku reflecting nature, suffering, and human existence. One of Japan’s four great haiku masters, he is recognized alongside Matsuo Bashō, Yosa Buson, and Masaoka Shiki.
Born in Kashiwabara, Shinano Province (now Nagano Prefecture,) Issa endured a difficult childhood, losing his mother young and facing conflicts with his stepmother. At 14, he left for Edo (modern Tokyo) to study haiku, later traveling extensively across Japan.
Issa’s poetry, infused with compassion, humor, and appreciation for small creatures, often reflected his Buddhist beliefs. His major works include Oraga Haru (1819, My Spring,) a haiku collection on personal loss; Chichi no Shūen Nikki (1801, Journal of My Father’s Last Days,) documenting his father’s passing; and The Year of My Life (1820,) an autobiographical haibun.
Issa wrote over 22,000 haiku, capturing fleeting moments of beauty and sorrow.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Kobayashi Issa
Dew evaporates
and all our world
is dew—so dear,
so refreshing, so fleeting.
—Kobayashi Issa
Topics: Wilderness
Simply trust:
Do not the petals flutter down,
Just like this?
—Kobayashi Issa
In the cherry blossom’s shade there’s no such thing as a stranger.
—Kobayashi Issa
Topics: Gardening
Where there are humans
you’ll find flies,
and Buddhas.
—Kobayashi Issa
Topics: Civilization
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